Meet the projectionists: Liz Fowler

What and where was your first job as a projectionist?

I started as a projectionist in 2010 for Phoenix Arts Centre in Leicester. I worked the all-day Sunday shift and the late-night Friday horror shift.

How did you first get into it, and was the training on the job?

When ushering at Phoenix I used to hang out with one of the projectionists in the box, even though I was meant to be working front of house. I thought the job was cool so I bugged the chief to train me up. The Phoenix then expanded to a two-screen venue and they needed extra projectionists, so I pestered the chief to give me a permanent role, claiming I had experience. I had no formal training, just on training on the job.

Of all the films you have projected over your career, is there one screening that stands out most vividly in your memory?

The one screening that I always remember was a screening of The Dark Crystal (1982) in 35mm. We were told the possibly only remaining print in the UK wasn’t great quality anymore, but we still played it. The colour was so pink you could barely make out the picture, and the projection room stank of vinegar. That was the first (and probably only) time I’d experienced such a degraded print, which was a shame because the film is great and should be shown in its full glory.

What is the future for projecting analogue film?

Just from observing the rise of digital, I think unfortunately analogue film is going to be classed as ‘vintage’ and we will only see special events or one-off showings of print film. Because most filmmakers and companies want to reduce costs. Unless you are Christopher Nolan.

Why is projecting film special, and different to digital projection?

When projecting film you really feel like you are part of a performance; if not done correctly anything can go wrong and disrupt the audience viewing. I get a bit of an adrenaline boost when projecting film as you have to make sure you’re focused and on your toes for the whole screening.

What is the most common misconception you’ve encountered of what a projectionist does?

When I tell people I am a projectionist they ask about 35mm and say “like with the cigarette burns in Fight Club (1999)?” I usually just nod and say yeah, even though I’ve never seen the film or the scene they are referring to. Nor have I seen Cinema Paradiso (1988). The common misconception is projectionists love to watch films or get to sit and watch a film while working. I love the technical aspect of projecting, but not so much the movie side of it. I’m too busy working to be able to sit and watch the films at work, and going to the cinema seems like a busman’s holiday to me.

What’s your best war story of a projection that went horribly wrong?

The first time I attempted a reel changeover was during a silent film festival. I was told to “press this button when you see the dots in the corner, then press that button when you see the next set of dots.” I did this, but on-screen was the countdown timer instead of the film. I looked at the other projectionist in shock and they said “Oh yeah, they were the wrong dots.” The poor pianist on stage must have had to skip a good four seconds of his score during that showing. It wasn’t until years later that I really learned what stray cue dots were, and fortunately haven’t had this problem since.

The BFI Film on Film Festival runs 8 to 11 June 2023.